Combined filling and crowning mechanism.



A. A. CARPER. y COMBINED FILLING AND BROWNING MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27,1913- 1,172.,256. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

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COMBINED FILLING AND CROWNING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27' 1913.

Patented Feb. 22,1916.

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ALBERT A. OARPEB, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE CROWN CORK & SEAL COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORA- TION OF MARYLAND.

COMBINED FILLING- AND CROWNING MECHANISM.

7 Combined Filling and Crowning Mechanisms, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

his invention relates to certain improvements in combined filling and crowning mechanisms.

In the bottling'art it is now customary, and particularly in bottling beer, to fill the bottles on a rotary filler and then transfer them by hand to a crowning mechanism, the

mechanism most widely employed being substantially -that illustrated in the patent to William Painter, No. 638,354.. This practice requires the intervention of hand labor between the filling and crowning mechanisms and further, as bottling machines run at high speed and as practically only a single operator can be employed to do the transferring, the labor of transferring bottles from one machine to the other is arduous, especially if the machines are run at their full capacity. The use of intermediate trans ferring mechanisms between these two machines has been suggested. The filling mechanisms ordinarily employed, however, have a large number of filling heads, say thirty or more, mounted on a rotary carrier, and in order to give time for filling, the carrier runs at comparatively slow surface speed. The crowning machines also have a plurality of crowning devices which are operated in part, at least, by a rotary carrier, these crowning 4 devices, however, being considerably less in number than the filling devices. The .rotary carrier of the crowning machine, however, runs at a much higher surface speed than the surface speed of the carrier for the filling devices. .Owing to this difference in speed and .for other reasons, therefore, the transferring mechanisms which it has been proposed to introduce between these carriers have necessarily been complicated, and, further, in the machines referred to, the crowning and filling mechanisms have been driven from independent sources of .power. The mechanisms have therefore been expensive to install and have not gone into general use.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 27, 1913. Serial No. 757,081.

vided Patented Feb. as, rare.

It is the object of this invention to produce a combined machine employing rotar filling and crowning mechanisms which shall be simple and compact in construction and 111 which simple mechanism may be employed for transferring the bottles from the filling mechanism to the crowning mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to pro duce an 1mproved combined filling and crowning machine, each machine being prowith open'receiving sockets for the bottles, the filling mechanism having a greater numberof such sockets than the crowning mechanism, and the two mechan sms being so driven with respect to each other that the sockets on the crowning section a combined filling and crowning machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 1s a sectional plan view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1.

Machines embodying the invention will include a rotary crowning mechanism employing a plurality of sets of crowning devices.

While the particular construction of crowning mechanism employed in carrying the invention into effect may be varied, that selected for the purpose of illustrating the invention is substantially the mechanism illustrated in the Painter Patent No. 638,354 referred to.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a hopper into which the crowns are thrown in a mass, the crowns being delivered, by a suitable selecting mechanism not necessary to describe, to a plurality of rotating crowning heads 2, these heads successively registering with and receiving crowns from a mechanism illustrated, the carrier serves to support a plurality of reciprocating lifting plungers 6. As shown, these plungers are provided with anti-friction wheels" 7 which run on a track-cam 8 having a rise 9, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which is so located as at the proper time to cause the bottles to be lifted and their tops forced into capping heads 2, these heads bein supplied with the usual bending dies whic attach the crowns. The plungers are inclosed by a housing, as at 6, which is cut away at one side, and this housing serves to support a table 7 for receiving the filled bottles, this table being cut away as clearly shown in Fig. 2 to receive the top of the carrier 4. The mechanism which has been herein described is substantiallythat illustrated and described in the Painter Patent No. 638,354, to which reference may be had for a detailed description of the construction.

Machines embodying the invention will also include a rotary filling mechanism provided with a plurality of sets of filling devices, and in the best constructions embodying the invention the number of sets of filling devices will considerably exceed the number of crowning mechanisms. While the construction of the rotary filling mechanism employed in carrying the invention into effect may be varied, as illustrated, the filling mechanism includes a circular tank, as 10, supported in bracket arms 11 springing from a collar 12 keyed to a sleeve 13. An inlet pipe 14 for the liquid leads through the sleeve, and its upper end connects with a stuffing box 15 supported on a spider 16 carried on the arms 11. Pipes 17 lead from the stuffing box into the tank 10 before referred to.

In the particular construction illustrated, the filling mechanism also includes a rotar} carrier, as 18, which supports the bottle carrying elements of the filling devices. While the construction of these bottle carrying elements may be varied, as illustrated they comprise vertically reciprocating sleeves 19 provided with open bottle receiving sockets 20, the sleeves reciprocating through bushings 21 mounted in the carrier 18. -The vertical movement of the sleeves 19 is effected by bell-cranks 22, 23 pivoted in a housing 24, this housing and the carrier 18 being se, cured to the sleeve 12 by a key 25. The base of the machine, as 26, carries a stationary cam 27, and the arms 23 of the bell-cranks and it will be understood that when a bottle is forced up into the nozzle, as indicated at the right of Fig. 1, a proper valve will be opened and the liquid from the tank allowed to flow down'into and fill the bottle. Pivoted locking latches, as 35, may be employed to hold the plungers in their elevated position, as usual in such constructions.

As has been indicated, in the best constructions embodying the invention, the filling devices will include open sockets for receiving the bottles to be filled and in such constructions also the crowning mechanisms will include open sockets for receiving the bottles, such sockets being clearly shown in Fig. 2 and marked 36, these sockets being mounted on the upper ends of thelifting plungers 6. As has been before indicated, in the best constructions embodying the invention, the number of sets of rotary filling devices, that is, the bottle lifting and filling devices, will exceed the number of crowning devices, that is, the plungers and crowning heads. Where the invention is embodied in a machine in which the number of sets of filling devices exceeds the number of sets o-fcrowning devices, the filling and crowning mechanisms will be driven in such a way that the bottle receiving sockets on the crowning mechanism will be caused to register with the bottle receiving sockets on the filling mechanism. The importance of the exact register of the sockets will be understood when it is realized that when the two sets of sockets are registered so that their centers are directly opposite each other, the bottles can be readily transferred and by a simple mechanism from one socket to the other.

The means by which the filling and the crowning mechanismsare so driven as to efi'ect the register between the sockets which have been referred to may be varied, but in the particular construction illustrated, the

carrier 18 is provided on its perimeter with a gear 37. the teeth of this gear being of. a proper size to engagethe lifting plungers 6 of the capping mechanism, the pitch line of the gear 37 cutting the center of each bottle socket as it comes into bottle receiv- 1ng position.

The construction which has been described for effecting the driving in unison lava ate bodying the invention, such single driving mechamsm or source of power will be employed. While the driving mechanism may be attached to either the filling or the crowning mechanism, in the particular construe-- tion illustrated, the carrier of the crowning mechanism is provided with a gear 38 meshing with a. pinion 39. This pinion is mounted on a suitable shaft which is journaled in bearings ona bracket 40, the shaft carrying a fiy-wheel as 41. A suitable clutch mechanism generally indicated at 42 may be employed, the details of such mechanism being well-understood in the art and unnecessary to describe. v

The means for transferring the bottles from a filling device to a crowning device may be considerably varied, but in the construction shown a switch, as 43, is employed for this purpose, the switch being secured to'the table 7 of the crowning mechanism by bolts 44, or inany other suitable manner. The switch is provided with a cam face 45 which after the bottles have been filled sweeps them from the sockets of the filling mechanism into the sockets of the crowning mechanism.- A- suitable guide,

consisting of a cam-plate 46, and a straightening finger 47 may be employed to deliver the bottles from the crowning mechanism onto the table 7 '1 g A suitable automatic feed may be employed to deliver the bottles to the filling mechanism. That shown comprises an endless belt 48 mounted .on pulleys 4950, the

pulley 50 being a' driven pulley. This belt underruns a pair of guides 51 so-shaped at their delivery ends as to guide the bottles to the sockets of the filling mechanism. The switch 43, in the construction shown, is provided with a guiding surface 52 coacting with the guides 51 in the delivery of the bottles. Y

Changes and variations maybe made in the construction by which the. invention claimed is carried intoeifec't. The claimed invention is not, therefore, to be confined to .the particular construction herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

What is claimed is 1. The combinationwith a rotaryfilling mechanism provided with a plurality-of sets of filling devices, each of said devices ineluding a bottle receiving socket having an open side, of a crowning mechanism in juxtaposition with the filling mechanlsm and provided with a plurality of sets of crowning devices, said sets being less in number than the filling devices, and each set including a bottle receiving socket'having an open side, means for'driving the two mechanisms so as to cause the sockets of the crowning devlces to register successively vwith the sockets ofthe filling devices, and

means for transferring a filled bottle directly from a socket of the-filling mechanism to the corresponding registering-sockets of the *rowning mechanism. i

2. The combination with a rotary filling mechanism provided with a plurality of setsof filling devices, each of said devices in-' cluding a bottle receivingsock'et having an open side, of a crowning mechanism in juxtaposition with the filling mechanism and provided with a plurality of sets of crowning devices, said sets being less in number than the filling devices,- and each set including a bottle receiving-socket having an open side, means for driving the two mechanisms so as to cause the sockets of the crowning devices to register successively with-the sockets of the filling devices, and a switch for transferring a filled bottle directly from a socket of the filling mechanism to the corresponding registering socket of the crowning mechanism.

3. The combination, with a rotary filling mechanism provided with a plurality of sets receiving socket whose orbit is' difierent from that ofthe filling machine sockets. means for directly driving one of the mechanisms, driving connections between the two mechanisms independent of said driving means, and arranged to bring the corresponding sockets of the two mechanisms in register with each other seriatz'm, and means for transferring bottles from the bottle-receiving sockets of the filling mechanism to the corresponding registering bottle-receiv ing sockets of the crowning mechanism.

4. The combination, with a rotary filling mechanism rovided with a plurality of sets of filling evices, each set. including an orbitally-movable bottle-receiving socket, of a crowning mechanism in juxtaposition with the filling mechanism and provided with a nisms independent of said driving means,

and arranged to bring the corresponding sockets of the two mechanisms in register with each other sefiatz'm, and means for transferring bottles from the bottle-receivof filling devices, each set including an oring sockets of the filling mechanism to the corresponding registering bottle-receiving sockets of the crowning mechanism. I

5. The combination with a rotary filling mechanism provided with a plurality of sets of filling devices, each device including an open bottle receiving socket, of a crowning mechanism in juxtaposition with the filling mechanism .and provided with a plurality of sets of crowning devices, said sets being less in number than the number of sets of filling devices and each set including an open bottle receiving socket, means for so driving one of the mechanisms from the other that the socket. on the crowning mechanism will register successively with the sockets on the filling mechanism, means for transferring the filled. bottles directly from the sockets on the filling mechanism to the sockets on the crowning mechanism, and driving means.

6. The combination with a rotary filling mechanism provided with a plurality of sets of filling devices, each device including an open bottle receiving socket,. of a crowning mechanism in juxtaposition with the filling mechanism and provided with a plurality of sets of crowning devices, said sets being less in number than the number of sets of filling devices and each set including an open bo ttle receiving socket, means for so driving one of the mechanisms from the other that the sockets on the crowning mechanism will register successively with the sockets on the filling mechanism, a switch for transferring the filled bottles directly from the sockets on the filling mechanism to the sockets on the crowning mechanism, and driving means.

7. The combination with a rotary CI'OVII', ing mechanism provided with a plurality of sets of crowning devices each set including a bottle lifting plunger, of a rotary filling mechanism provided with a plurality of sets of filling devices, said sets being greater in number than the sets of crowning devices, a gear on the filling mechanism the teeth of which are engaged by the lifting plungers on the crowning mechanism, driving means,

and a switch for transferring the bottles directly from the filling mechanism to the crowning mechanism.

8. The combination with a rotary crowning mechanism provided with a plurality of sets of crowning devices each set including a bottle lifting plunger and an open bottle receiving socket, of a rotary filling mechanism provided with a plurality of sets of filling devices greater in number than the crowning devices and each set being provided with an open bottle receiving socket, a gear on the filling mechanism the teeth of which are engaged by the lifting plungers on the crowning mechanism, whereby the sockets are brought into register when in bottle transferring position, means for transferring the bottles from the sockets on the filling mechanism to the sockets 011 the crowning mechanism, and driving means.

, 9. The combination Witharotary crowning mechanism provided with a plurality of sets of crowning devices each set including a bottle lifting plunger and an open bottle receivingsocket, of a rotary filling mechanism provided with a plurality of sets of filling devices greater in number than the crowning devices and each set being provided with an open bottle receiving socket, a gear on the filling mechanism the teeth of which are engaged by the lifting plungers on the crowning mechanism, whereby the sockets are brought into register when in bottle transferring position, means for transferring the bottles from the sockets" on the filling mechanism to the sockets on the crowning mechanism, and means for driving the crowning mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT A. CARPER.

Witnesses: W. J. BROWNLEY, I H. M. SMITHE. 

